Press Release

There it was, above the fold (very important in the newspaper world), the press release about the Joedance Film Festival.  Left hand side under "Briefly" in the City News section.  I nearly dropped my coffee cup on the floor, but I found my composure to only set it down with a loud crack on the kitchen counter.

What were the odds of a small neighborhood fundraiser being published in the Charlotte Observer?  Well, if you have Bert Woodward on your side the odds are good.  He has worked tirelessly, as have Julie Marr, Friends of Fourth Ward, our friends and neighbors to make this film festival a success and grow it to another level.  And then came the partnership with the Carolinas Health Care Foundation and just recently the Charlotte Film Society.  Which, by the way, gave a wonderful plug for Joedance at their event last night at Theater Charlotte.

When we started three years ago with the idea to raise money for poorly funded research for rare cancers, such as Osteosacroma which claimed Joe's life, never did we think the support would have grown this much. I thank you, our family thanks you and all the kids that are afflicted with rare cancers thank you.

Carol's Birthday

Carol Zadel's birthday was today and it gave us an opportunity to call her and Bob, who is Mike's older cousin.  Bob and Bill Zadel always are a source of good laughs of remembering the wonderful times of growing up in a close knit neighborhood.  Where grandparents were across the street, cousins were around the corner and every child went to school together.  We have ditched the neighborhood of relatives for neighbors who don't know our past.  We are disconnected having our relatives living on either coasts and the Midwest.  And with the dissolution of our families being our neighbors for some reason that yearly visit makes us uneasy, makes us want to prove we are successful, makes want to hide our pain or struggles, makes us put on a face of perhaps a hint of perfection.

My Mom and Dad moved to Charlotte seven years ago, my niece Sarah was already living here and I was relieved to be able to show my pain and suffering every day to them without the pretense of a visit here or there.  They saw and witnessed our incredible sorrow as Joe died.  I am forever grateful they were around the corner and down the street.

The Next Level

It is a blur.  Webpages, Facebook pages and press releases.  We are moving to the next level with Joedance.  I am scared but excited.  I want to grow this fundraiser for rare and complex cancers, but I am anxious.  I have no idea of what I am doing except that  I want to raise money so that pediatric cancer patients will not have to suffer the pain that Joe did.  Donations to the Rare and Complex Cancer Fund will make a difference.

I want to make a difference.

Joedance

Preparing for Joedance I always listen to Joe's Chapel Talks.  But this time I went further and listened to Tony and David's.  Tony offered an insightful way of being yourself, which has always defined him.   David talked about failing and how that would shape your life.   Joe's first message is that you cannot go it alone, and his last talk sent the message of not fearing the end.

I listened and was amazed how such young boys could be so insightful, so intelligent, so in tune with themselves.  And then have the courage to stand in front of their peers expressing their deepest feelings.

As we move on to the Third Annual Joedance Film Festival I will not only remember Joe, but all those boys, including Tony and David, who had the courage to step up and speak their minds.